Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a fabulous Halloween yesterday and hopefully feeling fresh. We’re talking about something awfully fun: IKEA CABINET HACK. But the best part? You don’t have to do too much ‘figuring out’ with this hack…these companies do all the heavy lifting for you!! It’s. Awesome.
Before we start let’s chat about some options you have for cabinetry when renovating a kitchen. The most expensive kind of cabinets you can put into your home are fully custom cabinets (which gives you THE MOST flexibility and customization). It’s a great thing to splurge on if you have the budget and there are some awesome companies that do fully custom cabinetry, like Unique Kitchens and Baths (which Emily is using for the farm), or you can ask the GC for your project if they do custom cabinetry (which is very common). So, those are the most splurgy, then the cheapest option would be to either a. paint your cabinets if they’re salvageable (obviously) or b. get stock cabinetry (VERY affordable & with the quickest turnaround because they are mass-produced and ready to ship). One of our FAVORITE budget-conscious options, however, is the IKEA cabinet box paired with the custom cabinet front. This way, your kitchen can be much more personalized and customized, while still keeping the cost down. There are SO many cool companies that do this now, and we’re excited to share all the awesome options with you in this post. Consider this your one-stop IKEA cabinet front shop.
Semihandmade
We LOVE Semihandmade over here and have used them many times before. Velinda used them in this client’s custom kitchen on a builder-grade budget. We also reached out to Semihandmade themselves to get some more info on their product. Here’s the Q&A below:
1. Can you tell us about your cabinet assembly?
Semihandmade doors are made to fit most IKEA kitchen, bath, and media systems. You buy the cabinets from them (IKEA), and the fronts from us (Semihandmade).
2. Can a customer request a custom cabinet paint color?
Customers can purchase our DIY doors and paint the doors themselves for a truly customized look.
3. What is unique about your cabinetry that you’d like our readers to know?
If you are renovating on a budget, nothing elevates the look of a kitchen or bathroom project more than Semihandmade doors paired with IKEA bases. It’s the ultimate design-on-a-dime combination.
4. Do you specialize in a specific style of cabinetry? What styles do you offer?
Semihandmade has both traditional and modern door styles. Shaker doors are typically associated with traditional looks and come in a multitude of color options. Our Supermatte Slab, Beaded, and Quarterline collections have a more modern feel and are available in various finishes. Classic Walnut and our rich woodgrains provide a whole different look, and can be either traditional or mod depending on the treatment, surfaces and hardware paired with them. There are literally options for everyone — 45 in all!
5. What is the typical pricing for your cabinetry?
Depending on the style, Semihandmade doors range from equal in price to IKEA, to 30-40% more.
6. Are your products sustainably made?
Semihandmade doors are made in the United States, and meet or exceed all mandated government standards.
Kokeena
Sara used Kokeena cabinets for her kitchen, here’s what she had to say: “First, their panels are all wood, and you can really feel the quality when you touch them–my dad was super impressed (it’s hard to impress my dad). Secondly, they’ll send you cabinet fronts painted whatever color you want. I choose one of their pre-selected colors, but if you have a dream color in mind they’ll make you cabinet fronts in that color (rather than sending you unpainted cabinet fronts that you then have to paint yourself). Working with them has been nothing short of a pleasure, and it’s just nice to work with small companies run by awesome people.”
Lots of good things from Sara, now let’s hear from the brand themselves:
1. Can you tell us about your cabinet assembly?
All of our doors come grain-matched, bored, and ready to be installed on IKEA’s SEKTION, AKURUM, PAX & GODMORGON. We also offer hardware from our pop-up shop. Hardware shouldn’t be an afterthought when installing new cabinetry.
2. Can a customer request a custom cabinet paint color?
Yes! We’ll send you a sample for your sign-off before painting your project, so you can make sure it’s perfect.
3. What is unique about your cabinetry that you’d like our readers to know?
We started Kokeena because we love design and we wanted to bring that love of design to everyone. Our mission is to help homeowners and designers who care deeply about design create the kind of kitchen or bathroom or any room in the house that they or their clients can fall in love with over and over again. Using IKEA’s system as the foundation, paired with high-quality, well-designed doors from Kokeena allows our customers to do just that—with the look of custom cabinets coupled with cost savings.
4. Do you specialize in a specific style of cabinetry? What styles do you offer?
We offer numerous styles and collections. We have painted wood doors (collections: The Minimalist, Slab Door, Modern White Paint), real wood (collections: The Woodsman, Panel Door, Plain Sawn Walnut, Natural Finish), the standard (Slab Door, Rift White Oak or CVG Fir, Natural Finish), the craftsman (Panel Door, Clear Vertical Grain Fir, Natural Finish), textured laminate (The Slabtown, Slab Door, Textured Laminate), and townsend (the newest from Kokeena, the Townsend Home Collection features an organic selection of nature-inspired neutrals. A curated collection of blue and green hues and their go-to color staples for kitchen cabinetry).
5. What is the typical pricing for your cabinetry?
It depends on the project and project size. If you’re just kicking tires and want to know what things cost, it’s a good idea to start by downloading our price sheet or our estimator Excel worksheet. If you have general questions while you work through your project, please email us at talk@kokeena.com.
6. Are your products sustainably made?
Absolutely. Kokeena is committed to sustainable business practices that benefit the consumer as well as the planet. While our practices and methods change and evolve over time, what’s constant is our dedication to sourcing products and materials that allow us to deliver uncompromising quality without compromising sustainability. Kokeena specifies low-impact paints and finishes.
We are committed not only to the use of sustainably harvested wood, but also to sustainable practices in materials used during production. Steps are taken to minimize wasted material during the making of your doors. Many of our doors use wood grain veneers glued to a green ply or fiber backing. The glues used by Kokeena in this process are low-VOC.
Reform
Velinda used Reform for her client’s kitchen remodel and had some awesome things to say: “If we’re gonna talk about saving on materials, we’ve gotta talk IKEA ‘hacks’. Instead of going with custom, the outdated/not-ideally functioning kitchen cabinets were replaced with IKEA, but the door & drawer faces were a bit more sublime. Reform offered faces for IKEA that were not only reasonably priced, but had a style that actually completed the vintage-inspired look (and cut down the need/expense for hardware thanks to integration and push-to-open features!). We were obsessed with how the flat panels of their Basis design were anything but boring due to wood detailing and two-tone pulls. The linoleum vibes (and color options) were perfect for this design. The colors we selected were Pistachio for the base and white for the upper cabinets. Reform established the look of this kitchen… hiding the budget boxes below beautifully.”
| styled by emily edith bowser | from: “a trend forward kitchen remodel on a budget”
Here’s a little blurb from the brand along with our Q&A:
“As a natural extension of Reform’s dedicated focus on quality, Reform has developed their own patented cabinet system. Based on widely accepted market standards and measurements, the Reform cabinets comprise an innovative clicking-technology that creates a quick and uncomplicated user experience.”
1. Can you tell us about your cabinet assembly?
Ready-to-assemble – and without any tools or screws!
2. Can a customer request a custom cabinet paint color?
Unfortunately not at the moment – maybe one day if we’ll get enough requests on this 
3. What is unique about your cabinetry that you’d like our readers to know?
The cabinets are assembled through the simple act of clicking them together – without the need for tools or screws. The cabinets are made from high-quality materials, offering a solid inner foundation for the modern outer design, and they’re just as durable and robust as cabinets that require screw assembly. They come in black, white and oak laminate, and the entire system is modular, which means that Reform can accommodate the unique and specific requirements of any given kitchen space.
5. What is the typical pricing for your cabinetry?
Starts at $90 for the cheapest cabinets and then up – depending on material (wood is more expensive), sizes, etc.
6. Are your products sustainably made?
The Reform cabinets feature MFC, a TSCA/CARB-certified material, which has been produced through sustainable and responsible methods. The leading edges are 1 mm ABS, and the side, top and bottom boards have a robust thickness of 18 mm while the back panel has been fortified with additional thickness. As an added benefit, the cabinets are manufactured as flatpack items, which optimizes space management during shipping and makes transportation more sustainable.
BOXI by Semihandmade
Albie used BOXI by semihandmade for her kitchen reno and loved them. Here’s what she had to say “As I dug into the exterior options I would have with Semihandmade, I was excited to discover that they would be expanding to offer their own cabinetry with BOXI. The idea of getting boxes from one vendor and fronts from another vendor may save us a ton…or it may not. Mixing and matching and playing around with the different ideas was very reminiscent of my permutations math lessons from middle school.”
“Working with BOXI would minimize how many components to manage — cabinets from A, fronts from B — without compromising the custom options that were on our wishlist.”
1. Can you tell us about your cabinet assembly?
BOXI cabinets come pre-assembled and ready to install.
2. Can a customer request a custom cabinet paint color?
BOXI cabinets are available in eight curated finishes. Painted or paint-ready doors are something we hope to offer in the future.
3. What is unique about your cabinetry that you’d like our readers to know?
BOXI is the first and only American-built cabinet system for every room in the house that can be ordered from the comfort of your sofa. With BOXI, you can fulfill your renovation dreams without the high cost of custom millwork (and never visit a Big Box store in the process)!
4. Do you specialize in a specific style of cabinetry? What styles do you offer?
As with Semihandmade, the BOXI line includes a mix of traditional Shaker doors, contemporary Slab styles, and a few warm wood tones. We’re especially excited about our matte black Peppercorn cabinets — with a slim pencil edge — a big hit since our spring 2021 launch.
5. What is the typical pricing for your cabinetry?
BOXI cabinets are an affordable alternative to higher-priced semi-custom and custom cabinets. Depending on the size of your project, a BOXI kitchen can cost anywhere from $6,000- $20,000
6. Are your products sustainably made?
BOXI cabinets are built in the Pacific Northwest with parts supplied by the best manufacturers in the US and abroad. Customers should feel good knowing that BOXI doors are made from discarded plastic bottles, or PET, which is a durable surface film that is 100% recyclable.
Nieu Cabinet Doors
The photos below are a before and after of Reverve Home‘s Cabinet fronts from Nieu Cabinet Doors. Nieu told us “By using any of the IKEA cabinet boxes and the made-to-order cabinet doors from Nieu, you can have the bespoke kitchen of your dreams, without breaking the bank. The cost of the cabinet fronts was just over $2,000. One of the best parts about using Nieu Cabinet Doors is the savings from ordering them direct and installing them yourself!” Other designers/DIYers such as Angela Rose Home have used them too, and have had great things to say.
1. Can you tell us about your cabinet assembly?
We provide custom cabinet doors for cabinet refacing and IKEA cabinets. We manufacture made-to-order painted cabinet doors, drawer faces, cover panels & trim, dovetail drawer boxes and floating shelves, and provide hinges and drawer glides. We do not at this time make full cabinet boxes. All of our products are 100% custom made and are ready to install on existing cabinets, or substitute into your install in place of IKEA fronts.
2. Can a customer request a custom cabinet paint color?
Yes, we offer custom paint options for a small additional fee, provided that customers select a Sherwin Williams color. Each of our 14 standard colors has been designer-curated to make the process of choosing a color easy! For customers interested in saving cost or painting themselves, they can choose to order their products raw (entirely unpainted), or primed only and finish as they choose on-site!
3. What is unique about your cabinetry that you’d like our readers to know?
We pride ourselves on providing the highest quality products at a DIY-friendly price, with every product made-to-order. We deliver custom, luxury home level products at an affordable price to homeowners who value quality and craftsmanship. The unique offering of our custom-made doors allows customers to keep their existing cabinet boxes but transform the look entirely, often for 50-60% less than the cost of a full kitchen gut and remodel. You can also integrate existing and new cabinetry by using one consistent door style to make it match – for example when adding an island or pantry cabinet storage. Or, glam up your IKEA kitchen with custom products, we make each and every door (yes even for the IKEA system) custom to order, so you CAN have your dream kitchen, now!
4. Do you specialize in a specific style of cabinetry? What styles do you offer?
We specialize in painted cabinet doors and offer 16 door styles in 14 designer-curated colors. For the ever-popular shaker cabinet doors, we offer 10 variations of the timeless shaker to suit every design taste from ultra-modern to traditional and provide a space that looks and feels completely custom.
5. What is the typical pricing for your cabinetry?
Our products range in price to suit all budgets and DIY skill levels starting at $11.43/sq ft for cabinet doors. The average kitchen for new doors and drawer faces typically costs around $2,200 USD.
6. Are your products sustainably made?
All of our products are CARB2 compliant, made from MDF which is a recycled wood product. Cabinet refacing inherently enables sustainability by keeping your existing cabinet boxes and just replacing the doors and drawer faces, so the process reduces waste from home improvements.
Koak Cabinets
Koak cabinets have a variety of different styles to choose from – so you can really personalize your kitchen. Here’s what they had to say in our Q&A:
1. Can you tell us about your cabinet assembly?
Our doors are ready to assemble. We make them with the same pre-drilling as IKEA does. So they are easy to install.
2. Can a customer request a custom cabinet paint color?
Yes, we can paint the doors in any RAL color.
3. What is unique about your cabinetry that you’d like our readers to know?
We use real massive oak instead of veneer or 3 layers oak what most companies use. We believe in the natural beauty of massive oak.
4. Do you specialize in a specific style of cabinetry? What styles do you offer?
Because we have many different colours and types of wood, you can actually create any style you like. The worktop and handles also contribute to the style of the kitchen.
5. What is the typical pricing for your cabinetry?
Each size of front has its own price, but for a small kitchen the price starts at €1.200 for oak. We also have some price examples on our site.
6. Are your products sustainably made?
Yes, our fronts have the FSC quality mark. In addition, the fronts are also manufactured in our own workshop and can last a lifetime.
Dunsmuir Cabinets
Dunsmuir cabinets is another great company to consider if you’re looking to remodel your kitchen with a semi-custom option. They specialize in custom cabinet colors, so if there’s something specific you’re looking for check them out. Here’s what they had to say about their product:
1. Can you tell us about your cabinet assembly?
Its Semi-Custom, modular and may be DIY
2. Can a customer request a custom cabinet paint color?
There are 4,500 Custom Paint Colors, it’s our specialty. See the first selection on our Materials Page.
3. What is unique about your cabinetry that you’d like our readers to know?
All Commercial Quality and Material Specifications at Residential Prices — and it’s beautiful.
4. Do you specialize in a specific style of cabinetry? What styles do you offer?
Largely slab doors, and appliance fronts for fully integrated contemporary kitchen designs.
5. What is the typical pricing for your cabinetry?
All ranges of pricing from IKEA pricing to high-end custom $2K painted fronts with integrated pulls.
6. Are your products sustainably made?
They are absolutely sustainable and environmentally safe, with zero VOCs and zero urea formaldehyde. This is our first requirement: https://www.dcabinets.com/about-us/green
For more information check out our web page under Our Products/Materials/Pulls: www.dcabinets.com and our online Design Estimator found by clicking ‘Start Designing.’ At Dunsmuir Cabinets, you may create your own design estimates and alternates — it’s fully automated.
Superfront Cabinets
While we haven’t had personal, first-hand experience using Superfront, we think they’re incredibly beautiful AND have a wonderfully sustainable method that we definitely approve of. Here’s what the brand had to say about their awesome product:
1. Can you tell us about your cabinet assembly?
Our products are “ready-to assemble” and arrive in a flat-pack, just like the Ikea products. All doors & drawer fronts are predrilled for hinges which make them very easy to assemble.
2. Can a customer request a custom cabinet paint color?
Yes, they can – and from November 4 it will be super easy to order a custom color from the NCS scale consisting of 1,950 colors! You select the colour option “NCS” on each product and then enter your selected NCS code at checkout. There is an initial cost for these orders and the production time for orders with custom NCS is 1-3 weeks longer than the regular production time.
3. What is unique about your cabinetry that you’d like our readers to know?
Superfront is a design company rather than a production company (which is often the case for Ikea hack companies) and therefore we always strive for a unique design expression rather than creating something generic. Also, we have decided to only collaborate with wood producers that are FSC certified to minimize the impact on the environment. FSC means that forestry has taken place in a responsible manner – both from an environmental and a human point of view.
4. Do you specialize in a specific style of cabinetry? What styles do you offer?
We always strive to create timeless and unique designs. We believe this is key when saving our planet is priority. This is also why we decided to start a company where circularity is built into our business model (making it possible for people to epicycle their existing Ikea cabinets!). Our lacquered doors with routed patterns has become a bit of our design signum as it is unique yet very timeless in terms of patterns. Earlier this year we also launched our Wood Collection consisting of 6 different colors and 2 different designs of wood veered doors – one plain and one we’ve named “Vertical” which has lines of this door make us think of those sleek bars with ribbed details in solid wood that you can see in luxurious, architecturally designed hotels.
5. What is the typical pricing for your cabinetry?
Our lacquered doors have a starting price from $36 Euro while the doors from the Wood Collection have a starting price at $50 Euro.
6. Are your products sustainably made?
We only use water-based lacquer instead of the more common type of lacquer containing polypropylene. Water-based lacquer is more durable as other types of lacquer and more environmentally friendly. Also, the MDF we use has the highest possible environmental MDF classification if one also takes the service life of the material into account. In the end, this means that the MDF we use will make the smallest carbon footprint possible. All our doors and drawer fronts are produced in Sweden.
So that’s all for this post – we hope this was helpful and that you are more informed going into a VERY important and permanent decision within your kitchen reno. Have a wonderful rest of your Monday! HAPPY NOVEMBER! xx
Opening Image Credit: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | Design by Velinda Hellen Design | Lead Designers: Grace de Asis & Julie Rose | Styled by Emily Edith Bowser | From: “A Trend Forward Kitchen Remodel on a Budget”
The post All The IKEA Cabinet Front Companies You Should Know Before Renovating Your Kitchen appeared first on Emily Henderson.